24.4.13

The 1870s : Scottish Dominance

An analysis of matches played between Scottish and English club sides in the 1870s reveals a significant Scots superiority.

Wins

Goals

Scottish

42

171

English

9

55

Drawn

3

Queen's Park

44% of these matches involved teams representing Queen's Park, and the dominance they enjoyed in Scottish football was extended into their encounters with English sides.

P

W

D

L

F

A

Queen’s Park

24

21

2

1

85

11

The English teams that played Scottish opponents during the decade represented both the 'gentleman amateurs' (eg: Wanderers, Cambridge University, Clapham Rovers,London Pilgrims,Old Etonians) and the northern and midland clubs that would be at the forefront of developing the professional game (eg: Darwen,Blackburn Rovers,Aston Villa, Nottingham Forest, Stoke). There was of course no league football in either England or Scotland during the 1870s. Aside from cup competitions the clubs relied on friendlies.

Darwen

Here is a list of the club fixtures from 1872-79.

04.03.72

Wanderers

0

0

Queen’s Park

Oval

30.01.75

Queen’s Park

6

0

Notts County

Hampden 1

08.03.75

Notts County

1

2

Queen’s Park

Trent Bridge

09.10.75

Queen’s Park

5

0

Wanderers

Hampden 1

06.02.76

Wanderers

2

0

Queen’s Park

Oval

01.04.76

Clydesdale

2

0

The Wednesday

Kinning Park

08.04.76

Alexandra Athletic

1

0

Sheffield Albion

Alexandra Pk

07.10.76

Queen’s Park

5

1

Notts County

Hampden 1

04.11.76

Wanderers

0

6

Queen’s Park

Oval

09.12.76

Queen’s Park

3

0

Cambridge University

Hampden 1

03.11.77

Third Lanark RV.

1

1

Sheffield Heeley

Cathkin 1

10.11.77

Partick

5

0

Darwen

Inchview Pk

17.11.77

Queen’s Park

6

1

Notts County

Hampden 1

08.12.77

Calthorpe

0

8

Queen’s Park XI

Birmingham

10.12.77

Stoke

0

1

Queen’s Park XI

Sweetings F

15.12.77

Queen’s Park

0

0

Cambridge University

Hampden 1

01.01.78

Darwen

3

2

Partick

Barley Bank

01.01.78

Sheffield Albion

1

2

Alexandria Athletic

Sheffield

02.01.78

Blackburn Rovers

2

1

Partick

Alexandra M.

19.01.78

Notts County

1

2

Queen’s Park

Trent Bridge

09.02.78

Queen’s Park XI

7

0

Calthorpe

Hampden 1

16.02.78

Nottingham Forest

2

4

Glasgow Rangers

Nottingham

18.02.78

The Wednesday

1

2

Glasgow Rangers

Sheaf House

13.04.78

Wanderers

1

3

Vale of Leven

Oval

20.04.78

Glasgow Rangers

2

0

Nottingham Forest

Kinning Park

22.04.78

Ayr Thistle

0

3

Nottingham Forest

Ayr

06.04.78

Manchester Birch

0

6

Queen’s Park

Manchester

21.09.78

Queen’s Park XI

4

1

Stoke

Hampden 1

25.10.78

Clapham Rovers

1

5

Glasgow Rangers

London

26.10.78

Nottingham Forest

0

2

Glasgow Rangers

Nottingham

09.11.78

Partick

2

0

Blackburn Rovs

Inchview Pk

09.11.78

Queen’s Park

4

0

Notts County

Hampden 1

01.01.79

Sheffield Heeley

0

2

Third Lanark RV.

Sheffield

01.01.79

Darwen

0

7

Partick

Barley Bank

02.01.79

Blackburn Rovers

2

4

Partick

Alexandra M.

18.01.79

Nottingham Forest

4

1

Edinburgh University

Nottingham

18.01.79

Stoke

1

4

Queen’s Park XI

Victoria G

20.01.79

Birmingham Select

1

4

Edinburgh University

Birmingham

20.01.79

Aston Villa

1

2

Queen’s Park XI

Perry Barr

01.02.79

Notts County

0

2

Queen’s Park

Trent Bridge

11.04.79

Ayr FC

1

2

Calthorpe

Ayr

12.04.79

Glasgow Rangers

3

0

Nottingham Forest

Kinning Park

12.04.79

Manchester Wrs

0

4

Queen’s Park

Manchester

12.04.79

Mauchline

3

0

Calthorpe

Mauchline

14.04.79

Glasgow University

5

2

Calthorpe

Glasgow

25.10.79

Blackburn Rovers

1

4

Glasgow Rangers

Alexandra Med.

01.11.79

Nottingham Forest

6

1

Edinburgh University

Nottingham

08.11.79

London Pilgrims

0

2

Queen’s Park XI

London

10.11.79

Stoke

1

2

Queen’s Park XI

Victoria
Ground

15.11.79

Queen’s Park

4

1

Notts County

Hampden 1

15.11.79

Aston Villa

4

2

Parkgrove FC

Perry Barr

25.12.79

Kilmarnock Ath.

7

1

Nottingham St.James

Kilmarnock

27.12.79

Vale of Leven

5

2

Old Etonians

Alexandria

30.12.79

Edinburgh University

3

4

Old Etonians

Edinburgh

What also began in the latter part of the 1870s was the trickle of Scottish players to join English clubs. Offered sinecure positions in local industries they were tacitly professional.James Lang (Clydesdale- The Wednesday, 1876), Fergus Suter and Jimmy Love (Partick-Darwen, 1878) and Archie Hunter (Ayr Thistle- Aston Villa, 1878) are early examples.

Scotland also enjoyed the advantage in the international matches played during the decade.

Wins

Goals

Scotland

4

23

England

2

15

Drawn

2

30.11.72

Scotland

0

0

England

Hamilton Cres.

08 03.73

England

4

2

Scotland

Oval

07.03.74

Scotland

2

1

England

Hamilton
Cres.

06.03.75

England

2

2

Scotland

Oval

04.03.76

Scotland

3

0

England

Hamilton
Cres.

03.03.77

England

1

3

Scotland

Oval

02.03.78

Scotland

7

2

England

Hampden 1

05.04.79

England

5

4

Scotland

Oval

Note: the unofficial England Scotland matches of 1870-72 and the Glasgow Sheffield series are not included.